Surprising Benefits of Sustainability at Johnson Space Center

When you think about it, it’s obvious that sustainability would be core to NASA’s mission. Reliable, effective, renewable energy is essential for extraterrestrial exploration. Beyond that necessity, however, it is the agency’s policy to do all its work “without compromising our planet’s resources so that future generations can meet their needs.”

Management at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) wanted to comply with the agency’s sustainability policy as well as Executive Orders that require adherence to defined sustainability metrics. They also wanted to bring their facilities into the new millennium to improve the working environment for their employees and to update their image, as they contemplate future competition with commercial space operations.

But JSC faced an unusual problem: It was difficult to justify investment in sustainable energy alternatives because the facility has some of the lowest electric rates in the nation.

Exploring Renewable Energy

JSC turned to CSC to help reexamine the cost-benefit equation of more sustainable energy management. We took a fresh look at the benefits, acknowledging the value of improved employee workspaces and the operational continuity that can come with energy independence.

The latter point didn’t need emphasis because a recent accident in the JSC area had knocked out electricity for an entire day. JSC had to send home its 10,000-person workforce. Our engineers pointed out that alternative energy sources could have kept things running for that day.

CSC has developed a portfolio of projects exploiting geothermal and solar energy, as well as new passive-solar lighting systems that intensify natural light. We provide all the professional engineering support to define the projects, select the renewable energy partners, and ensure that the benefits are realized.

Reaping the Benefits

CSC’s energy management solution for JSC is delivering cost savings, improving energy security, enhancing the quality of the facilities, and helping meet NASA’s sustainability goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering energy intensity.

Even with its unusually low electricity rates, JSC is saving more than $62,000 annually on its electric bill. And its passive-solar lighting system saves money in another way: fewer light bulbs and less maintenance labor to replace them.

The JSC workforce is delighted with the results. Along with modernized energy systems has come a more modern, cleaner design on the campus. A new climate-control system lets the Child Care Center control the temperature in individual rooms, keeping everyone more comfortable. And workers at the Ellington Field Hangar, where that new solar lighting system is in place, say they can see better because they have better quality light, even on a cloudy day.

Talk about doing more with less!

Related Information

Learn more about our energy management solutions.

Learn about our work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.